Opinion
Apple's Secret NoSQL Plans

Surely, it can't be to compete in the NoSQL database market. And I don't think Apple plans to disrupt Microsoft, Oracle and IBM DB2 in the traditional relational database market.

Core Technology

FoundationDB describes itself as "multi-model, meaning you can store many types of data all in a single database. All data is safely stored, distributed, and replicated in the Key-Value Store component, and new functionality, like our SQL Layer, is layered on top of its simple API."

Multiple companies offer NoSQL databases -- which are popular for running big data applications. Instead of competing with those offerings, I'm confident Apple will tuck FoundationDB into its own cloud services -- using the database to store and manage data for a next generation of Apple iTunes, Apple Store, Apple TV, iCloud and more.

Remember: FoundationDB is designed to store "many types of data in a single database." Audio. Video. Customer records. Financial information. And the list goes on -- as does the list of the data types Apple's cloud now manages.

As an Apple customer, you may never see or touch FoundationDB as a product. But within Apple's cloud data centers, you can bet it will be one of the underlying engines driving Apple's cloud services forward...